Why do you eat 12 grapes on New Year’s? Here’s what to know about the good luck tradition.

Can grapes bring you luck? The Spanish believe so, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve across the country there is a race to pick 12 grapes before the first minute of the year has passed.

The 12 grapes, symbolizing the months of the year, must be eaten one after the other before the clock changes to 12:01. If grapes are consumed, tradition states that good luck will be on your side throughout the year.

Where does the tradition of eating 12 grapes come from?

Origins of the “Lucky Grape” tradition Hard to track. The idea may have started with grape growers in Alicante, Spain. to empty the surplus in the early twentieth century, Reported by Atlas Obscura. Grapes are an affordable crop and tend to do well, and there is often a surplus so fruit can be brought in cheaply.

Or perhaps the Madrid bourgeoisie was emulating the French tradition of eating grapes and champagne on the last day of the year, NPR reported. But the story goes that the people of Madrid wanted to rebel against class differences and decided to mock the aristocrats by going to Puerta del Sol to eat grapes accompanied by the sound of bells.

Whatever the beginnings, the tradition has caught on like wildfire in Spain. Major supermarket chains such as Mercadona and Super Sol advertise and sell “uvas de la suerte” throughout Spain.

Mercadona, one of the largest grocery chains in Spain, announced four ways to buy grapes for this occasion. Natural grape bunches with seeds from Alicante add “an element of fun to the 12 grape tradition.” Seeds provide a “crunchy touch” The supermarket said. Consumers can also purchase seedless grapes, or packaged grapes “specially selected and packaged in the exact amount needed for each ring.”

Pre-packaged grapes allow celebrants to open the grapes at the exact moment the clock changes and not worry about counting or peeling grapes amidst the excitement of the celebration.

Grapes can also be purchased peeled and pitted in a can. The supermarket said these grapes are among the most popular among Spaniards because of their convenience.

What are the exact rules of the New Year’s grape tradition?

No matter how you buy your grapes, eat them at midnight Nochevieja is the key to the celebration In Spain. Celebrants need to eat the grapes before the clock strikes 12:01 a.m., and if they are consumed completely, tradition says good luck will be on your side all year long.

Spaniards usually choose green grapes for this tradition.

Where did the idea of ​​eating grapes under the table come from?

Eating grapes under the table is not part of an indigenous tradition in Spain, but it may be a 21st century development going viral on social media. TikTok users posted on social media saying they are eating 12 grapes – either red or green – under the table, hoping that singles who eat grapes under the table on New Year’s will fall in love soon.

User @annadstoddard I posted this after I ate grapes under the table She was lucky in love. The footage shows her placing a twisted napkin ring on what appears to be her partner’s finger.

TikTok user @helenguillen — now @helengmorales — posted in 2022 that she ate grapes under the table on New Year’s Eve and got engaged afterward. in video, She shows her engagement ring.